Plano ISD Superintendent Richard Matkin said Saturday that district officials will soon consider laying the groundwork to put a property tax increase before voters.

Speaking at a luncheon of the League of Women Voters of Plano/Collin County, Matkin said that as the percentage of students from low-income families increases in PISD, it becomes more challenging to maintain the district’s traditionally high levels of academic performance. More than 30 percent of the district’s students are economically disadvantaged — compared with less than 10 percent just a few years ago, he said.

“We think we can reach any kid with time and money,” Matkin said.

However, he noted that in 2011, the district lost $59 million in state funding, requiring program cuts and about 300 layoffs. State funding plans being considered by the Legislature won’t come close to helping the district recover that loss, he said.

So, in the coming weeks, the school board will discuss seeking an increase in the property tax rate.

“If you’re going to have some discretionary money, if you’re going to try to give more to teachers, if you’re going to try to buy down class sizes, if you’re going to try to do all these other things that differentiate you from any other district in the state, you’re going to have to have some additional tax rate dollars,” he said.

And it would be a worthwhile investment, he said.

“The only ticket out of poverty or the criminal justice system is education,” Matkin said.

The district’s current maintenance and operating tax rate is the state cap of $1.04 per $100 of assessed property value. Voters must approve any increase above that. The district’s debt service rate, which pays for bond programs, is 33.34 cents, bringing the total rate to $1.3734 per $100 of assessed property value.

To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.